HR0520 94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0520 LRB094 12579 HSS 47255 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The North American Safe Boating Campaign, sponsored by the National Safe Boating Council, the United States Coast Guard, and several other American and Canadian organizations, educates recreational boaters on the rules and procedures of safe boating; and

WHEREAS, National Safe Boating Week traditionally marks the start of the campaign and "highlights the need for boaters to take command of their safety by wearing a life jacket at all times while on the water"; and

WHEREAS, Drowning remains the number one cause of death among victims of fatal boating accidents; on average, 700 people die each year in boating-related accidents in the U.S. and nearly 70% of these are fatalities caused by drowning; and

WHEREAS, The vast majority of these accidents are caused by human error or poor judgment and not by the boat, equipment, or environmental factors; and

WHEREAS, A significant number of boaters who lose their lives by drowning each year would be alive today had they worn their life jackets; modern life jackets are more comfortable, more attractive, and more wearable than styles of years past and deserve a fresh look by today's boating public; and

WHEREAS, There are five tips for boating safely: wear your life jacket, stay sober, take a safe boating course, get your boat checked (the Coast Guard Auxiliary offers a free vessel safety check), and be aware of carbon monoxide, a poisonous gas that is odorless, colorless, and can be lethal; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we recognize the week of May 21, 2005, through May 27, 2005, as Boat Smart. Boat Safe. Wear It. Week in Illinois; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the National Safe Boating Council.